A MAJOR review of CCTV coverage across the district is underway.
Newry, Mourne and Down Council is spearheading the initiative and a business case is to be compiled to pave the way for securing the finance required to pay for an upgrade to new digital equipment.
The news has been welcomed by Rowallane councillor Jonny Jackson who has been lobbying for a CCTV upgrade.
He revealed the local authority’s Sustainability and Environment Committee has been discussing the issue with the focus on upgrading CCTV systems coinciding with a recent increase in burglaries and criminality in some of towns, including Ballynahinch.
Cllr Jackson said this was confirmed last week by the PSNI which described the market town as a “burglary hotspot”.
Superintendent Norman Haslett said local criminals are responsible for carrying out a number of burglaries in the Ballynahinch area.
Addressing the district’s Policing and Community Safety Partnership, he said police had carried out a number of “pro-active” operations which resulted in three suspects being arrested.
The PSNI Commander reported that overall crime in the district had fallen by 12 per cent compared with the same period last year, with crimes of violence decreased by 21.3%.
He said criminal damage offences had decreased by 5.7%, while theft offences – mainly shoplifting – had increased by 8.4%.
Cllr Jackson said the need to have a modern CCTV systems in place across the district is crucial to help deter criminality.
“I am delighted that a review of CCTV provision across our town centres is underway,” he said.
“A report is ongoing and a business case is about to be developed and brought forward to the Committee with a number of options on the way forward for the proposed development of a new digital CCTV system.”